Family Counseling
by DARWIN51
Summary: Based on that episode where Danny sits in a tree and the whole family is forced to go to counseling. There will be much humor and angst.
1. Chapter 1

BITG: Family Counseling

"Well," the therapist started, legs crossed and bent over the forms that Terry, the Canon, and Danny had been required to fill out. "It appears that you left most of these blank?"

Terry shifted a little on the stiff couch, trying to seem ladylike and proper, words that were usually never in her vocabulary, but all she wanted to do right now was rip this skirt off and put on a pair of shorts. She only dressed in skirts like this when she was out drinking, hoping to maybe pick up a hot guy or something.

Danny sat next to her, in a red and white baseball tee with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He didn't seem quite as anxious or uncomfortable as Terry, although he might be the one who least wanted to be here right now.

The Cannon was pretending not to care. He sat on the other side of Terry, slouched back with one arm up on the couch behind him, and one on the armrest, hand naturally curved as if he were holding a can of beer. His legs were apart, and he tried to keep a completely passive look on his face, like he was being dragged here, although technically he was.

"Did you leave these blank because you wanted to talk things out in here together? Because that's a great strategy of overcoming your conflicts, especially talking it out with each other." The therapist, a young, sort of awkward man who gave off the vibe that he didn't quite know what he was doing, said.

"Gross." The Cannon mumbled.

"Um," Terry felt even more awkward than the therapist looked "what…specifically was left blank?" She asked, even though she knew she had left more questions blank than she had actually filled in, and she imagined her father's was even worse.

"Well, Danny, you didn't put down an answer for your father's name. I've talked to your mother before, and I know you have a father. Was there any specific reason why you didn't put anything down here?"

"He was a jerk." Danny grumbled. His mind was really on Vanessa right now, and he knew that his mother and The Cannon were the ones with problems, not him. He saw no purpose for him being there, so he wasn't taking it too seriously.

"Danny!" Terry turned to him in shock.

"What? He is!"

"Why would you say something like that? I know he's not always been the best person but he's always been a good father and husband."

The therapist looked like he was eating this up.

"I don't know why you keep lying for him, I've seen him hit you. And not just once. You think I was too young to remember that but I do, very clearly." Danny crossed his arms and turned slightly the other way, resting his chin on the armrest on his side, trying to be causal about it. He would even be okay if he came off as stubborn and a drama queen right now, as long as his mother didn't know that he really didn't want to see what her reaction to this would be.

Terry was sitting with her mouth open, completely unsure of how to even respond to that; her mind already racing to come up with excuses, automatically. She had to remind herself that those days were over.

The Cannon leaned forward slowly to turn to his daughter sitting next to him and look at her face. He was trying to pretend to be nonchalant about it, like he really didn't care, but he couldn't help but let a little anger show when he spat "He _what_?"

Feeling completely trapped, and getting the feeling that this therapist was completely loving this family bickering and secret-revealing, Terry coughed once, before settling for a response. As much as her conscience was telling her that she should tell them the truth, and the logical side of her brain was telling her there was no way this excuse was going to work, and everyone would see right through it, she tried anyways.

"He didn't," She reassured her father with a slight laugh, turning to him and putting a hand on his arm lightly. Then she turned to Danny and said "Sweetie, I don't know what you're remembering, maybe it was some crazy dream you had, but your father never hurt me. Okay? What's the next question, Doc?"

"Nuh-uh!" Danny said, clearly not getting the message that Terry was completely opposed to even talking about this right now. "I remember once on Dad's birthday, I was looking for something in your closet, and you two walked in, so I shut the closet door and hid, and I could hear you kind of laughing and saying "no" but then being serious about it. I don't remember much, but I remember that it ended with he broke your arm or shoulder or something, then he got really mad because you weren't "playing along" for his birthday or something, and he left, and you had to take me to Grandma's or something so you could drive yourself to the hospital."

Only now did Terry realize that Danny had been 4 when this happened, and it wasn't out of the question that he actually did remember it. How else would he have known all those details? She never talked about it, like most bi-polar episodes her husband had before he found the right medication. And Danny was leaving out the worst part. She prayed that his memories of his 4-year-old mind were not vivid enough to put together what really happened now.

"That was an accident." She quickly said.

Danny shrugged stubbornly. He just would not let this go. Actually, he _was_ letting it go. He was letting all the disturbing and violent things he remembered from his earlier childhood go, releasing them, hanging them up in the air, making them open for discussion and explanation. "It was an accident how he just left you there while you were clearly injured?"

Terry looked at her wrist which had no watch on it. "Alright, well, I think we need to go. Thank you for your time, same time next week work for you?"

The therapist looked at his actual watch "It's only been fifteen minutes…I think we should sit back down and discuss."

"We can discuss next week. What was the co payment again?"

Terry wasn't planning on letting it go either. She was currently planning to take Danny to the park and answer any questions he had, without the pressure of a therapist and The Cannon in the room.

"Wait, sit down, give it a few more minutes, okay? Just try." The therapist urged, tipping his notebook and pen in his lap.

Standing up, The Cannon said gruffly "Am I paying for this?"

"No," Terry said, flipping through her wallet. Then to the therapist "That was $20, right?"

The Cannon walked out of the room without another word, acting like he couldn't care less about this therapy thing right now, which was pretty much his attitude toward anything anyways.

Terry explained to Danny on the way out that she would answer any of his questions when they got to the park.

Danny's first question was why did she completely lie about it just now, although he kind of already knew the answer to that one.

~/~

**More chapters to come**


	2. Chapter 2

BITG FC 2

"Okay, for once in my life I'll admit that I care." The Cannon said, pressing his palms against the kitchen counter.

Terry spun around, confused. "Care about what"

"About what Danny said during that torture session the other day!"

"Therapy session, and wow you actually got his name right." Terry said, going back to the basket of laundry that she was telling herself to fold, but she knew it would all end up on the floor anyway.

"Whatever. The kid said that Nimrod-"

"Norman."

"-Whatever; hit you. That's not acceptable; only your mother and I can do that!"

Deciding to fold the laundry to keep busy, Terry said quietly "Mom never hit me."

"That's not the point." He spat.

"Are you gonna believe whatever Danny told you?"

"I'm gonna believe whatever you tell me. Now tell me the truth. Did he actually hit you and...stuff."

"No."

"I don't believe you!"

Terry threw her arms up in a bit 'what' gesture, and let them fall to her sides with a slap. "Well then what do you want from me?!"

"I want the damn truth!"

"Why do you care so much!"

"Because I... because... Just curiosity, you know."

"Because you care?" Terry asked, a little touched.

"No. Yes. I mean, we've already been through this, now will you stay on point!"

The way he raised his voice at the end made Terry wonder for a second if _he_ was going to hit her. "You know what, _Dad_?" She hissed "Norm did hit me. And you know what I thought of the first time he ever did that? I thought of you. I saw me, as a scared little girl, hiding under the jackets in the shoe closet, as you hit me and then waved a knife over my head, shouting at me that you were going to kill me, "for real this time"."

"I was drunk!"

"And what if I told you Norm was drunk every frickin time he hit me, does that make it okay?"

"There was no way on earth I was _actually_ going to kill you, and you know that!"

"Yeah, I know that now, but I didn't then!"

"Stop raising your voice at me!" The Cannon said, for lack of a better response.

"Do you remember why you threatened to kill me that night? Because I struck out four times and caused my team to lose the game. You wanna know why Norm hit me the first time ever?"

"I never-!"

"Because I told him I was pregnant."

The room grew silent as the Cannon thought this over. Finally he said quietly "That's no reason to hit somebody."

Terry shouted, on the verge of tears "And neither is a stupid, fricking, baseball game!" She slammed the empty laundry basket on a table and marched into the kitchen to stand across the counter from him.

"Alright." The Cannon said "I got the point."

"Good."

"The point that it is true that he hit you."

"That wasn't my point!" She cried, exasperated.

Suddenly Danny cleared his throat in the doorway. His mom had already talked to him in the park about the way his father treated her, and he didn't need to hear it again. "I'm on the phone with Vanessa, can you two keep it down or something?" He grumbled.

"Sorry." Terry whispered, giving him a sympathetic look.

He rolled his eyes and carried the phone back into his room.

Terry glared at her father.

"What. Why are you looking at me like that?"

Keeping her voice down, she said "The next time this will be discussed will be at our next therapy session. Got it?"

The Cannon almost choked on his Coke "There's _another_ one?"

Terry didn't answer.

"God don't tell me there's another torture session."

"Don't make plans for Thursday." She spun and left the room.

**Sorry about such a short chapter, but I didn't want to leave you waiting while I thought of more. Given that my Psych fic "Piece 6" is nearly 11,000 words per chapter, I figured I'll take a break from that sort of thing. And I didn't want to leave you waiting.**

**Review? Is this working? Is it realistic/ fit with the actual personalities on the show?**


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